Close Reading: Torturer Chapter I

Robin Hankin · 09 Sep 2006, 22:35 · from 2006-September.txt.gz

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From: rphankin at yahoo.com (Robin Hankin)
Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2006 15:35:26 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: (urth) Close Reading: Torturer Chapter I
In-Reply-To: <BAY103-F269B8F8E2F45823AFA3A77D7310 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <20060909223526.97241.qmail at web34810.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

What a wonderful idea.  I've been on this list for some time, but have never contributed.  Hi all.

One of the things I noticed in this rereading is that there are two things in the chapter that Severian  professes admiration for.  The first is Drotte and his quick -thinking lie. This is the first indication, I think, that Severian prone to deceit himself and is thus unrelaible as a narrator.

 The other thing Severain admires is Vodalus' bravado in handing over the pistol to Thea (or Hildegrin) and his willingness to risk their defense armed only with his sword. Given that Vodalus is a self-serving S.O.B. (and the false coin that he gives Sevarian is further proof of his falseness) I'm guessing that Vodalus did not think himself in real danger from the watchmen- he certainly would not deliberately sacrifice himself for and of his followers.  So his admiration here is also for something false.

That got me thinking  about Sevarian rushing to the aid of Vodalus when he stumbled in the fight.  Now I wonder if that Vodalus really stumbled.  He might have come to his aid solely out of admiration for Vodalus, and threw in the prospect of real danger to Vodalus in order to magnify the importance of his actions.  Perhaps Vodalus was never in any real danger at all.

Robin P. Hankin 

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